Knowing Truth, Whispering Lies
by Ghost Rider of the Aragon
Summary: Loki's sentence on Midgard is almost up. When a new SHIELD recruit pops up, he recognizes her as Sigyn. She, however, has no memory of him or Asgard. Loki suspects a certain Titan, but then, there are traitors in Asgard. Sequel to Parole on Midgard. (Loki/Sigyn) Part 4 of my 'Path to Redemption' series.
1. Prologue

"_Are you certain that it's her?" Thor asked. Loki laughed slightly._

"_She had the ring I lost. There's only one place she could've found it. Thanos' torture chambers. Believe me, it's her." Loki said. Even after months of separation, he recognized her. He suddenly turned to Thor in a fury. "Why was I not told that she'd gone missing?" _

"_We feared that if we told you, you might try to make a deal with Thanos to get her back. We couldn't risk it." _

"_I wouldn't have…" _

"_Don't lie to yourself Loki. You would have gone after her in a heartbeat." Loki stalked over to the edge of the balcony. Thor noticed the sag in his brother's shoulders._

"_Do not lose hope brother. We will find a way to get her back." Loki nodded. _

"_I know. I just can't handle seeing her like that. One of the Asynjur, trapped in her mortal mind. Does Odin know what has befallen her? Could he perhaps restore her?" Thor shook his head._

"_Father knows of her plight, but he hesitates to make any play that could harm her. We could bring her back, but it would destroy her. Thanos was extremely thorough. She doesn't remember anything." Loki sat down, unable to accept the fact that she was possibly lost to him forever. If Thanos was responsible for this, the chances of getting Sigyn's memory back were slim. And it was probably better that she never remembered what she'd gone through. Loki shuddered at the memory of the torture chambers. "Do not force her to regain her memory. It could turn her against you." Thor cautioned. Loki glanced over at his brother. It tore him apart to see her and not have her know who he was. But knowing Thanos, that was exactly what the Titan had in mind._

"_She would never turn against me, but I will do as you wish. You have not led me astray thus far. Do not tell anyone else of my connection to her. Except for Fury. He probably should know." Thor nodded his assent. Loki turned on his heel and strode back into the apartment. His brother followed._


	2. Awake and Alive

Anneliese glanced around the room. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten here, or why she couldn't move. Frankly, it scared her to death. She could (barely) see out into the hallway and was not reassured by that sound of a regular beeping noise coming from a distant room. She was in a hospital. She inwardly cursed and stared up at the ceiling. _How did I get here? Well, obviously, something happened, but what? Why can't I remember? Why can't I move? What is going on?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when two people came in accompanied by a nurse. She tried to turn her head, but a searing pain raced down her spine, causing her to suck her teeth. The nurse put a blood pressure cuff on her arm, and started pumping it up. Anneliese stared at the ceiling, wishing for the pain to stop. The nurse removed the cuff, and disappeared. One of the visitors stood over her. He wore an old AC/DC t-shirt and jeans, and had a neatly trimmed goatee, and brown eyes. He didn't look too threatening.

"Hey there. My name's Tony. I'm here to help you out." Anneliese couldn't talk, but she could clearly see what was going on in his head. Mostly she sensed sympathy and a little curiosity. She tried to read his exact thoughts. She was disappointed to find that her powers were incapacitated from the sedatives. Emotional impressions were easier to read, but were not always reliable. It would have to do. Tony glanced over at his companion.

"Would you mind helping me out here, Reindeer Games?" The second man sat down next to Anneliese, and picked up her hand. His fingers felt cool against her fevered skin. After he muttered something, the temperature seemed to abate somewhat. Anneliese gasped, the air aggravating her dry throat. If she could move, she would've pulled her hand away. The man stared at her face for a moment, his green eyes searching her face. She felt his mind brush against hers, and she shuddered.

"She doesn't trust either of us, Stark." The man said.

"Loki, I don't care whether she trusts us or not. Just translate for me." Anneliese allowed herself to contact his mind again, this time going a little deeper. There was more to him that she thought at first. Some power, but she wasn't sure of its source. Whatever it was, it was other-worldly. Although he was now apparently a good guy, darkness still lurked underneath the polished façade. Loki recoiled at her assessment of him. His eyes softened for a moment. Anneliese heard his voice in her head.

"_You certainly are perceptive, aren't you?" _Tony leaned in.

"You were in an accident. You've been in a coma for three weeks now, and this is the first time you've been responsive." Tony said slowly.

"_Your grasp on the obvious is almost unholy. I'm in a hospitable bed, unable to speak, and unable to move. I think it's pretty obvious something happened. Now tell me why I should trust you."_ Loki grinned.

"She knows what happened. She wants a reason to trust us."

"Oh. Sorry. Okay, how do I put this? During the coma, an increase in brain activity indicated something, and that fact has made you a person of interest to our boss." Anneliese stared at Loki for a moment.

"_Your boss has been __**stalking**__ me? For how long? And what for? I thought I asked for a reason to trust you." _ Loki glanced up at Tony.

"She's wondering why Fury would be spying on her, and how long. She's rather uncomfortable with the thought." Anneliese rolled her eyes. Tony hid a smile. He had a feeling that Loki was editing.

"Your telepathy and telekinesis are of great value to his little operation. You've heard of the Avengers, right?" Anneliese nodded slightly. "Well, we're always looking for fresh recruits, and some, like Director Fury, are all about getting what they want when they want it. I decided to come here before Fury got to you. He wants you to join the Avengers Initiative. I wanted to give you a better first impression. Fury isn't exactly known for his…bedside manner." Anneliese squeezed Loki's hand slightly.

"_Tell Fury to go jump off a bridge._ _And ask him why it has to be me. I'm sure there are plenty of other people with my abilities." _Loki nodded. He turned to Tony.

"She wants to know why it has to be her. And she wants you to tell Fury to jump off a bridge, whatever that means." Tony grinned. He knew the phrase had a double meaning for the demigod.

"Trust me, you're not the only one who'd like to tell him that. But as far as we know, you're the only person with these abilities that is mentally stable enough for the job. We're basically asking you to join one of the best known superhero teams in the world, if that makes you feel any better."

"_I guess I don't have anything better to do. And, no, it doesn't make me feel any better. I like my life the way it is, thank you very much."_

"She says she'll give it a shot." Anneliese nodded again to affirm that Loki wasn't twisting her words. Tony's expression softened again.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure that you don't get into trouble." Anneliese was distracted when Loki's voice rippled through her mind.

"_This is going to be fun, you know."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Think of it as an opportunity to make a few friends who you don't have to hide your abilities from." _

"_I guess I could look at it that way."_

"_Good." _


	3. Welcome Home

The next day, Anneliese woke up to find that she could actually move her arms a little. Tony and Loki came to visit her again, and they got her to talk a little. She even showed them the progress she had made in improving her mobility. Finally, a week later, she was deemed well enough to be released. She walked out the door a free woman. Albeit, a woman with no memories, but free nonetheless. Tony had agreed to pick her up. She hadn't been expecting it in such a spectacular style, though. A limousine pulled up and Loki stepped out to allow her in. She sat down gratefully. Loki sat next to her and slammed the door shut. Anneliese glanced over and realized that Tony was sitting on her left.

"Hello." She said, slightly surprised. She hardly recognized him. Tony now wore a designer suit, and shades. He had a glass of something (presumably scotch) in his hand, and a silly grin plastered to his face.

"Hey there, sweetheart. Whatcha think?"

"It's pretty nice, but I think you need to put that down. It's not even one in the afternoon, and you've already had too much."

"Aw, come on. Lighten up." Anneliese rolled her eyes.

"I'm only in this limo because I have nowhere else to go." She thought about what she'd just said. "Where are we going anyway?" she asked finally. Loki glanced behind them.

"Avenger's Tower, formerly known as StarkTower." He said smoothly. Anneliese nodded. None of this was ringing a bell, but she would go along with it.

They pulled up to the tower, and into the underground garage. Loki got out of the limo and held out his hand to her. Anneliese took it nervously, and stepped out. Her foot caught in the door, and she tipped over. Loki caught her before she could hit the ground.

"_Walk much?"_

"_Not lately." _She pulled herself back upright, nearly knocking him over in the process. She could sense slight amusement emanating from his thoughts. A moment later he asked,

"_Are you ready for this?"_

"_Do I have a choice?"_

"_Well, no, but I'd hate for things to wrong."_

"_Speaking of things gone wrong, what's with you? I get the feeling that you're holding something back."_

"_It's none of your concern. I might tell you once you regain your memory, but until then you will refrain from asking me about it."_

"_Fair enough. Are you always so brusque?"_

"_Most of the time. Now, get ready to meet the team." _

They stepped into a large elevator and took off for the fifteenth floor. They came to a stop, and Tony got out of the elevator first. He held out his hand to Anneliese and she followed him. They were in a large room, well lit.

"Here we are." Tony announced. Anneliese could only see three others, aside from Tony and Loki. A woman, and two men.

"So this is Fury's new wonder-girl?" the shorter of the two asked. The woman whacked him on the arm.

"Clint, be nice." She turned back to Anneliese, and held out her hand. Anneliese took it, and shook it, giving her a cordial smile. "Natasha Romanoff. The jerk over there is Clint Barton, and that is Thor." Anneliese nodded to each.

"Good to meet you all. I thought there were more of you. I mean, from what I heard." Natasha shrugged.

"Banner's in his lab and Rogers is out for a run. He'll be back later." Loki walked out on to the balcony with Thor, speaking quietly with him. Anneliese watched until he was no longer visible. Tony laid a hand on her shoulder.

"We should probably show you your room and get you settled in." he said. Anneliese nodded, glancing back around the room, and she followed Tony back to the elevator. They rode in silence. She stared at the door ahead of her, knowing that Tony was scrutinizing every action. The doors opened, and they stepped off into a small antechamber.

"Welcome to your new home." Tony said. Anneliese glanced over and saw his smile. He wasn't flirting, and by all appearances was sincere. He threw the door open. Anneliese gasped in amazement. It was almost as though she'd designed it herself.

"How did you know what I would like?" she asked. Tony looked wary.

"You promise not to get angry?" Anneliese shrugged, then nodded. "After our first conversation, Loki told me what your favorite things were, and drew out the plan. I made it happen. I hope you don't mind." Anneliese was stunned.

"Thanks, I guess. I can't think of what else to say." Tony grinned.

"Your welcome. I'll leave you to explore. When you get hungry, just take the elevator down, and Jarvis will guide you in from there."

"Okay." Anneliese walked into the middle of the room. The walls looked like natural stone, and there was a small waterfall in the corner with a pool under it. Water lilies and other aquatic plants floated across the surface. Several brightly colored koi swam happily in the clear water. She wandered through the rooms, deeply impressed. The bedroom looked out on the balcony from the level below. She went over to the window, and saw that there were steps leading down to it. It was beautiful.

She saw Thor and Loki standing on the balcony. They were both still talking. The glass was too thick for her to hear anything that was said, but she could feel the emotional impressions. The two brothers were currently getting along well, although one of them (probably Loki) was still finding it hard to trust the other. She smiled, and drew the curtains shut. She flopped down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. Even though it was early afternoon, she felt tired. She slowly drifted off.

Anneliese woke up as it was starting to get dark. She wondered what woke her, but then she heard a British-sounding voice calling her name.

"Who's there? Hello?"

"I am Jarvis."

"Okay, where are you? This is kind of freaking me out."

"I'm a computer. Mr. Stark told me to ask you if you wanted to join the rest of the team for dinner."

"Oh, well, yes, I suppose I should go. Lead on, Jarvis."

She peered around the door, and saw everybody sitting around the table. She almost decided not to come in, but she felt Loki's mind contact hers again.

"_Don't just stand there, come in."_

"_O-okay. Where do I sit?"_

"_There's a spot between myself and Steve. Sit there. Act like you know what you're doing. Clint's been trying to think of ways to make you uncomfortable. His mind is so juvenile. Be on your guard."_

"_Thanks for the warning."_

"_My pleasure."_

Anneliese walked in purposefully and seated herself in the designated spot. Loki nodded to acknowledge her presence. As she ate, Loki was watching her out of the corner of his eye, and frankly, it freaked her out. It was already bad enough knowing what everyone was thinking. She didn't like the fact that she was not the only one with that talent now. Loki was particularly enjoying this.

"_You don't have to be shy, Anneliese. We're not going to bite."_

"_I'm sorry. I'm just not a people-person. This many people in one room kinda makes me uncomfortable."_

"_Understandable, but you may have to depend on them at some point. You may want to at least become acquainted with them."_

"_I can't! I don't reach out to others. They come to me. I just want to eat, and go back to my room." _Loki seemed amused and annoyed by her stubbornness.

"_Is there any way I can make this easier for you? Maybe introductions?"_

"_No, Loki. I'm tired, I have no memories, and I've been recruited by an organization that I know virtually nothing about. I want to be alone right now."_

"_I'm sorry. Finish eating, then. I'm sorry for bothering you."_ He withdrew from her mind, and let her finish her meal. She listened in on everyone else's conversations, and by the time she finished, she knew everyone's opinion of her.

Clint thought she was too green for such a job.

Natasha was considering giving her martial arts lessons.

Bruce wondered who she was, but he didn't mind the idea of her joining the team.

Thor thought only the best of her, but that was his opinion of almost everybody, so it didn't matter.

Tony thought she was scared, and wanted to help her out with that.

Steve also thought that she was a bit young for this job, but he was willing to give her a chance.

Anneliese made her way back up to her room. She didn't know why she was so withdrawn, but it was really getting to her. She stopped short in the doorway when she saw a familiar figure sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace. Loki.

"What are you doing in my room?" she asked. Loki spun the chair around to face her.

"Waiting for you."

"Please, go away. I don't feel like company right now."

"That hurts."

"Yeah, get over it."

"All right. I was only going to give you advice on how to deal with Fury."

"Not right now. I'm too tired to care."

"Fair enough. I'll go. Sleep well." He stood up and lithely walked out the door.

Anneliese went to her room and went to bed.


	4. Coffee and Tea

The next morning, she awoke to the sun streaming in through her bedroom windows. She sat up, wondering where she was, but the events of the past week came back to her in a blur. She shook away the morning cobwebs, and got up. She was supposed to talk to Fury today. She got dressed, and walked out into the living room. She could hear voices coming from the floor below her. She caught a few words, and it sounded like an interesting conversation. She got dressed and stepped into the elevator.

She walked into the main living area. Clint and Natasha were sitting over by the bay window, enjoying a private breakfast together. Bruce, Thor, and Tony were in the kitchen, laughing over some inside joke. Steve was nowhere to be seen, either he was still asleep, or down in the gym. Anneliese scanned the room again, and she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Loki was right next to her.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up." He said quietly, his voice almost a purr.

"Good morning to you too." She retorted, holding back a yawn.

"Miss Dunn, will you always be so cold to me?" he said. He held his hand dramatically over his heart as though she'd stabbed him.

"You're not exactly projecting 'warm and fuzzy' vibes either. I don't know you, so get used to it." Loki nodded.

"I'm sorry. We never were formally introduced, were we?" Anneliese shook her head.

"No, we weren't." Loki smiled slightly.

"Then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Loki. I am Thor's younger brother, formerly of Asgard."

"Asgard? As in, the home of the Aesir? From Norse mythology?"

"Yes. Precisely. The myths are true."

"Okay, so, Thor can actually summon lightning and thunder? And you really are a Frost Giant, then?" Loki nodded an affirmative.

"It's true. We're not exactly gods as the Vikings believed. We're just from a different world, where magic is real, and we have longer life spans than humans."

"Kind of like Tolkien's elves?" Loki looked momentarily confused, but then he remembered. In the interest of fitting in with the mortal members of the team, he had read and watched the Lord of the Rings books and movies. He now understood why Tony always called Clint 'Legolas'. It amused him to no end.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that. We're not nearly as delicate as they seem to be…but the concept is basically the same."

"Hmm. Sounds like Tolkien got it right." He guided her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her.

"I'll be right back. You prefer tea, am I correct?" Anneliese nodded. She watched Loki go into the kitchen, and he came back balancing two plates on one arm, and carrying two mugs with the other. He set one of each down in front of Anneliese.

"Thanks…" she managed to squeak out. Loki grinned, and set his own down.

"Don't mention it." He began eating, and Anneliese followed suit. She took a sip of her tea. Her eyes widened.

"Chai. How did you know that it was my favorite?" Loki shrugged.

"Give me some credit. Miss Dunn, I am many things, but ignorant is not one of them."

"I'll remember that. So, why are you the only one who's tried to make friends with me. Seems to me you're the lone-wolf type. What's so special about me?" Loki paused mid-bite. He set his fork back down on his plate.

"That story shall wait until you've regained your memory."

"Oh, now where have I heard that before?" Anneliese said sarcastically. Loki shook his head, and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"I'm serious. I can't tell you. Anything else you want to know about?"

"As a matter of fact, there is. How did you join the Avengers? From what I hear, you're not exactly hero material. I get this darker vibe from you, and I get something similar from Natasha. But with you it's worse." Loki smiled.

"Originally, I had planned on taking over the world but these people stopped me and thwarted my attack. I was brought back to Asgard after failing to take New York City. My father sentenced me to a year here to learn from my mistakes and repair the damage I'd done."

"But after that whole fiasco, how could anyone trust you?" Loki shook his head.

"No one does. I wouldn't trust me, if I didn't know my own mind. But being stuck in a world where everyone hates you, but won't lift a finger…it's better than being in a world where they hate you and will not hesitate to kill you after brutally torturing you." Anneliese nodded.

"I trust you." She took another sip of her tea.

"But you've read my mind as well. That only makes sense."

"Okay. So, why then, can't you tell me whatever it is you're keeping from me? The suspense is killing me." Hints of a smile played around the corners of Loki's mouth.

"Can I get you more tea, Miss Dunn?" was his only response. Anneliese wordlessly held out her cup. She was furious. He had the nerve to tell her so much, and stop short before telling her what she wanted to know! She finished her food, and waited for him to come back.

"Here you go." He set it down in front of her. She glared at him. He chuckled. "I promise I'll tell you about it someday." He finished off his coffee and took the mug into the kitchen.


	5. Meeting Fury (And the Aftermath)

An hour later, Tony and Natasha escorted Anneliese to a meeting room below the parking garage. They walked in, and sat down. A woman with blue eyes and brown hair sat at a computer, apparently waiting to record everything. She stood up to introduce herself.

"My name is Maria Hill, and I'll be acting as Director Fury's stenographer this morning. You must be Miss Dunn?" she asked. Anneliese nodded.

"Cut the formalities, Maria, where's Fury?" Tony cut in.

"Right here, Stark. Now sit down and behave yo'self." The three turned and saw Fury in the doorway. Anneliese had never seen him before, and she was taken aback by the eye patch. "Miss Dunn, I take it they've told you about me?"

"No one's really spoken to me since I arrived here, sir."

"Good. Now why don't we all have a seat?" They all complied, and Maria could be heard tapping away in the background.

"Sir, may I ask a question?" Fury sat forward, contemplating the young woman before him.

"Yes. One."

"Why can't you just pretend you never heard of me? I only want to remember what happened before the accident."

"You have a set of skills that cannot be matched. The Avengers Initiative could use your gifts. I take it you've met Loki?"

"Yes sir. I have. What does this have to do with me?"

"Two years ago, he tried to take over the world, under the command of a race known as the Chitauri. They are out for revenge, for his failure to win them the earth."

"Again, what does this have to do with me?"

"Loki's too close to this to be effective. You possess nearly identical skills, and are in no way involved…yet. I want you to take Loki's place for the time being, until all threats concerning him are dealt with. Then you're free to go back to whatever life you had before."

"I have a feeling it's not going to be all that easy, sir. I'm not the one for this. I've never had a day of martial arts training in my life…"

"Agent Romanoff will be teaching you. Any other concerns?"

"Uh, yeah, several mostly involving scenarios in which I could possibly die. You can't just take a civilian and expect them to be a scapegoat for some out-of-control demigod. I'm sorry. I can't do this. I just can't."

"Miss Dunn, if I had other options, I'd use them, but you're it."

"Fine, but if I die, you're going to wish you'd never picked me."

"I suppose that's the best I'm gonna get from you. Welcome to SHIELD, Agent Dunn."

Anneliese stormed up to her room. As she expected, Loki was there, waiting for her.

"I take it Fury hired you?" he asked, turning from the window to face her.

"Yeah. You'd better be grateful for this. They guilted me into this. For you."

"Me?"

"You don't know?" Anneliese asked. Loki looked confused and furious all at once.

"Tell me." He engulfed her mind with his. It felt as though someone were trying to dig her eyes out with a frozen spike. She put up as many mental blocks as she could, but he swept past them, finding the memory he was looking for. He withdrew from her mind after going through the entire conversation with Fury.

"So they haven't forgotten…" he whispered to himself. Anneliese stared at him in shock. No one had ever conquered her mind like that before.

"Never do that again!" she shouted. Loki recoiled slightly.

"I'm sorry, but I know that everyone's been keeping something from me, and I can't get it out of them. I'm sorry for doing that. I forget my manners…" Anneliese finally found her voice again as she collapsed into her chair.

"What's going on? Fury didn't give me much to work with, as you now know. I need to know everything, Loki." Loki sat down in the chair he'd occupied last night. He shrugged.

"Where would you like me to begin?" Anneliese crossed her arms across her chest.

"The beginning would be nice."

"Thanos told me that I would be tortured and killed if I failed in my attack on New York City. He's apparently trying to make good on his promise now. Fury's afraid that I'm too obsessed with my own safety to be of use to the team anymore. When I was sentenced to live here, a friend of mine placed spells on me to guard me against this. Thanos can't touch me."

"So they're calling me in to…do what? I'm not a warrior; I can't even keep you out of my head. How's that going to help the Avengers stop whoever's after you?" Loki leaned forward in his chair.

"Let me just say that you're more than you think you are. I can help you with some of your training. You can shape-shift, right?"

"I don't see how that has to do with anything, but yeah, I can. I just don't have the opportunity to use it much." Loki grinned.

"We'll just have to fix that." He said. He stood up and walked over to the window. "Close your eyes." He said. Anneliese eyed him suspiciously.

"Okay…" she said as she complied.

"Now open them, and find me." Anneliese opened her eyes and gave a startled yelp when she found herself faced with at least twenty Lokis. "Which one is the real me?" all of them asked at once. Anneliese bit her lip in frustration. She walked over to the one farthest from the window and tapped it on the shoulder, and her hand didn't go through. The others disappeared. Loki smiled.

"How did you figure that one out?" he asked.

"The last I saw you, you were by the window. If you thought a simple trick like that was going to fool me, you don't know me as well as you think you do."

"Fair enough, Anneliese." He paused a moment. "Can I just call you Anne? Saying your full name is getting cumbersome." Anneliese nodded.

"Sure, go ahead. So what was the point of that?"

"Just a bit of fun. No reason really. Just trying to get you to loosen up. If you're going to learn from Natasha, you're going to need some way of being able to stump her. Making doubles of yourself is your best chance."

"I can't make doubles. I can only look like someone else." Loki nodded.

"I see. Show me."

"Who should I become?"

"I don't know, pick one of the Avengers, and I'll tell you whether or not I'm convinced." Anneliese stood stock still, and concentrated on a mental image of Tony. The air around her shimmered. When the transformation was complete, Loki walked around her, scrutinizing every detail. It was perfect, even down to the glowing arc reactor.

"Not bad, not bad. Can you manipulate your voice?" Anneliese shook her head. She transformed back. Maintaining the illusion was tricky and consumed a lot of energy.

"Sadly no, but as long as speaking isn't necessary, it should be all right. As I get to know the others, I'll probably practice with them too."

"Good plan. Well, do you want to go eat lunch, or shall we continue?" Anneliese stared out the window at the bright blue sky.

"Lunch sounds good."

"As you wish."


	6. Better Left Forgotten

**A/N: Okay, I've only gotten one review, and I'm wondering if I should keep it up. But anyway, here's Chapter 6. Review please, and make my day! ^-^ Extra points for whoever caught the Princess Bride reference in the last chapter.**

Months passed by, and Anneliese grew more at ease with the rest of the team. She and Tony had collaborated on some improvements to the Iron Man suit, and in return he had created some body armor for her. It was similar to Loki's, but not nearly as flashy. The helmet looked a lot better too. Tony's excuse was that they were so close; they may as well have matching gear. Anneliese took his insinuations with a grain of salt, like most things he said. She and Loki were friends, nothing more.

She went up to her room after her training with Natasha. As usual, Loki was waiting for her.

"How was your day?" Anneliese asked. Loki had been training with Clint. Even though Loki had his magic, it had its limitations. Even with his proficiency in fighting, he liked to keep his skills sharp. Even though Clint had pretty much forgiven Loki, there was still a competitive spirit between the two.

"Same old, same old. I get beat up, Clint gets his stress relief for the day. What about you?"

"Natasha was kind of surprised when she whirled around and saw my 'Steve' illusion. It completely threw her off her game for the rest of the session." She reported. Loki laughed.

"I would've liked to have seen that. Well done. Anything else interesting?"

"Stark seems to think that you and me are secretly dating or something like that."

"He needs to get his mind out of the gutter." Loki scoffed. Anneliese laughed at his tone.

"Tea?" she offered.

"Yes, please. So, any interesting developments in the lab today?" Anneliese shook her head as she filled the kettle.

"Oh, nothing note-worthy, but I gave him an idea for an air filtration system in his helmet. It should keep out pathogens and various poisonous gases." Loki nodded.

"Is he going to use it?" Anneliese shrugged. It was several minutes before she spoke.

"He said he'd look into it, but I'm not sure it will work."

"Hopefully it does, and you can come up with a smaller version of it. It might be handy for each of the team to have one. You never know." The teakettle started whistling.

As they sipped their tea, Loki noticed the Anneliese was staring at nothing in particular.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

"Just thinking of what Tony said. I actually see why he thinks that. You do spend an awful lot of time up here." Loki leaned back into the couch cushion, trying to choose his words carefully.

"I do enjoy your company. I'll admit that." He finally said.

"Why do I get the feeling that you think of me as more than a friend?" Loki nearly choked on his tea. _She's getting close to the truth, you've got to admit that_

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, your body language for one. Even though you talk to me as though I were a stranger, you act like you know me a hell of a lot better than that. You even knew I preferred tea to coffee. Now, what is the only reasonable explanation for that? Answer: We've met before, possibly in another dimension, maybe a past life. If I believed in something like that…"

"Like I said that day, I was inside your mind. I'm not ignorant."

"You weren't anywhere near that part of my mind during all the contact that we've had. You're lying to me."

"I don't know. It's quite a lot to explain."

"So you keep telling me. What will it take for me to get these supposed memories back?" Loki closed his eyes.

"It's not that simple. It's not a matter of 'when' you'll get them back, or how much you have to go through, it's a matter of 'if' you get them back. I can't really be sure. You're the only person I've ever known with this problem." Anneliese nodded.

"I promise I'll stop haranguing you about it, then." Loki smiled.

"Thank you. I think I'm going to go back to my room now." Anneliese smiled.

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow." She said. He left.

Anneliese stayed up reading for a while, and then went to bed. Her peaceful night was soon twisted with nightmares.

_Visions of blood, pain, and darkness flooded through her mind. She wasn't the one being tortured, but she could hear someone else, and the voice sounded familiar. A light appeared and she saw a pale form next to her. Cautiously, she reached out to brush the lock of hair out of his face. Shocked, she realized it was Loki, and he wasn't breathing. His blank eyes stared at her. She backed away slowly, straight into the one responsible. Filthy hands gripped her shoulders and threw her down onto the dirty floor. A shadowy figure stood over her with a knife. She closed her eyes as the stroke fell._

She sat up straight in bed, with a cry of fear. She realized that she was safe in her own bed. It still didn't stop her from going around her apartment, checking all the closets and hallways. Once she was satisfied that she was alone, she went back to her room. She turned on the light, and gave a start when she saw Loki lounging on the chair by the window.

"What are you doing here?" she asked once she'd calmed down. Loki didn't smile, made no joking response.

"I heard you get up and I was worried." Anneliese shook her head.

"I had a dream. A nightmare, but I think I'm over it now." Loki cocked his head to one side.

"Don't lie to me, Anne. I know what you saw in that dream of yours. I've had nightmares like it before."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Loki stood up and joined her, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

"It's a dark place, and there's someone next to you. A small light shows up and you see that it's someone close to you." He smiled when he saw Anneliese's face. He knew he was right.

"Is it a dream, or is it memory?" Loki shrugged.

"It's both. I've been to the same dungeon. It only makes sense."

"That's the weird thing. It was you who was next to me. You are somehow connected to these memories that you refuse to tell me about. I will figure it out, and I will get them back. I want to remember, Loki." Loki's face darkened.

"There are some things I'm sure you will not be so eager to remember. Be careful what you wish for." Anneliese lay down, snuggling into her pillow. Loki lay next to her, enjoying the silence.

"I think I can go back to sleep now. Thank you for coming, Loki." Loki sat up and leaned over, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders.

"It's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow." He left.

He stepped out into the hall, and who should he run into, but Tony. The billionaire did a double-take.

"Uh, what were you doing in her apartment?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. Loki frantically searched for the proper words.

"She had a nightmare, I heard she was awake, and I came to check on her. Nothing happened." Tony seemed unconvinced. He grinned.

"I'll just have to ask her myself tomorrow." Loki scowled.

"Nothing. Happened. Good night, Stark."

"Good night."


	7. Another Asgardian?

**A/N: Thank you to the Guest who reviewed the last chapter. I promise I will finish this story. Sorry for it being a little shorter than my other chapters, but here goes.**

**Enjoy! **

Tony glanced up when he heard Anneliese enter the lab.

"Hey, Tony, sorry I'm late this morning." Tony went back to his design board.

"Long night?" he said. Anneliese shrugged.

"You could say that." She replied. Tony clicked a couple buttons.

"Happens to the best of us. What's up?" Anneliese glanced over at him. He was trying to hide a smile. _He knows Loki was in my apartment last night._

"Nightmares. You sure that happens to you?" Tony paused. Maybe Loki had been telling the truth.

"Oh, well, not as often anymore. Usually only after a traumatic experience. It's amazing what three months in a cave can do to a person." Anneliese nodded. She'd heard of Tony's miraculous escape from a terrorist camp. She suddenly wanted to change the subject.

"You heard about those attacks at different labs, right?" Tony nodded.

"Yeah. Why? You scared? Because we happen to be in one of the nicest labs I know of." Anneliese shook her head.

"I'm not scared, per se. Just slightly nervous. And yes, there is a difference." Tony laughed.

"Sure, there is." He adjusted some of the proportions on the new mask. "Though, you know, those attacks, they were all directed at labs affiliated with Stark Industries." Anneliese paused and glanced up at Tony expectantly. He continued. "You may be onto something. Someone is looking for the Avengers. More importantly, someone is looking for Loki. They know that he's with us, they just haven't found us yet." he said.

"And when they do find us, what happens?" Tony shook his head.

"We'll get to them first."

"How? We don't even know where they're coming from." Tony stepped away from the design panel, and put both hands on Anneliese's shoulders.

"Don't worry. We'll figure it out. By the way, I just installed that new filtration system. It works. I made some emergency masks based off of the same design, and I'm giving one to each of the Avengers. Good work, Miss Dunn." Anneliese beamed with pleasure that her idea had worked.

"You did the work." Tony grinned.

"I've learned the hard way that not giving a woman the credit she deserves is a bad thing." Anneliese winced.

"Not from Pepper, I hope?" Tony nodded sheepishly.

"Yes from Pepper. Bad move on my part."

Later that evening…

Anneliese was back in her apartment, making herself dinner when she heard her cell phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Agent Dunn, it's Fury. We need you and the rest of the Avengers down in the meeting room STAT. There's been another attack, this time in Albany."

"Right away, sir. You already talked to everyone else?"

"Yes. Thanks, Agent."

"Yep. Bye." She snapped the phone shut, and turned off the stove. She ran to the elevator and went down to the meeting room she'd been to earlier. Everyone was gathered around the table, looking nervous.

"Agent Dunn, have a seat and we'll get started." Anneliese hurried to sit between Loki and Thor. Loki smiled slightly. Anneliese turned her attention to the screen that Fury was pulling up.

"The latest attack is still under way, and we're not sure what exactly happened. Some of the lab workers are still inside. We were hoping that you might be able to go in and give us a clearer picture of what's happening." Steve was the first to answer.

"Recon? I'm up for it." Fury nodded gratefully. Bruce scrolled down the screen.

"The reports are that the survivors are coming down with some kind of disease after being rescued. I think I might be more useful here than out in the field." Fury nodded.

"Okay, Banner stays in the lab and will be ready in case the worst should happen. Everybody good with that?" Mumbles and nods were the only response. Fury looked grim.

"All right people, suit up." They collectively got up and filed out of the room.

Once on site, Anneliese could see that it was bad. One wing of the lab was still smoking, although the firemen had been able to contain it. Several occupied body bags were laid out in the parking lot. The survivors were sitting on the back bumpers of the ambulances, waiting for the EMTs to let them go. Her attention was grabbed when Steve stopped them.

"Okay, we go in and see what we can, and meet back out here in half an hour. Now, partner up, and stay with that person no matter what. If you come across any other survivors, get them out of there as quickly as you can. Got it?" Everybody nodded and paired off. Clint and Steve; Tony, Thor, and Natasha; then Loki and Anneliese.

Steve and Clint ran down the hall together. The rooms along each side had already been evacuated.

"Did you see that?" Clint said, picking up his pace. Steve shook his head.

"What?"

"Something just ran across the doorway up ahead. Let's check it out." They sped up and reached the end of the hall. A rough sounding cough told them that they weren't alone.

"Who's there?" Clint asked, nocking an arrow with almost inhuman speed. The figure dragged itself out from under a destroyed desk.

"Just me. I'm hurt pretty badly, you shouldn't need that." The man said. "My name is Theoric, of Asgard. I came to save the Lady Sigyn." Clint glanced over at Cap.

"Who's Sigyn?" he asked the man. Theoric shook his head sadly.

"My fiancée. She disappeared from the Realm Eternal a year ago, according to your mortal standards. I heard rumors that she was here on Midgard." Cap eyed the man with distrust. Another Asgardian? When would they ever stop coming?

"Well, we don't know who Sigyn is, but I assure you, she's…" Theoric shook his head.

"No, you don't understand. I was told by a friend of mine that she had come to the Avengers of Midgard. She is one of you, I know she is." Clint fingered his bow, wanting to shut the man up with an arrow in his throat.

"What does Sigyn look like?" he asked. Theoric swallowed before answering.

"Tall, slender, long golden hair, blue eyes…" Clint's eyes widened. This man had just described Anneliese. Both Clint and Cap stared at each other in shock. Theoric was telling the truth. It suddenly made sense why Loki had connected with her the way he had.

Anneliese was Sigyn.

Before either of them could stop him, Theoric ran from the room and vanished into the shadows. They ran after him, but their efforts to find him were in vain. He was gone.


	8. Struck Down

Not far from there, Loki and Anneliese found themselves at a dead-end hallway. The only room unchecked was the lab itself. Anneliese walked through the low doorway. Loki put a hand on her arm and stopped her.

"Let me go first." He said.

"How very gentlemanly of you." she replied.

"Manners are the last thing on my mind right now. Now stay out here."

"If you insist."

"Oh, believe me, I insist."

Loki entered the room. From the doorway, Anneliese could see the body lying against the wall.

"Loki. Someone got here ahead of us." she said aloud. Loki paused and nodded. He continued to go deeper into the cavernous lab. A mechanical whirring filled the air, and the doors sealed shut behind him, cutting him off from Anneliese. A voice crackled over the PA.

"So, after all this time, we meet again, little prince. How nice. I've got something special in mind for you." Loki's eyes widened in fear. He knew that voice. It had haunted his nightmares for the past year. Anneliese, however, was unaware of her friend's panic.

"Fury, where's the team?" She muttered into her mouthpiece.

"They're scattered around the campus. Hawkeye and Cap are out in the parking lot with a civilian they rescued. Tony and his two are closest to your position."

"Well, then tell them to hurry up! We've been compromised. Loki's trapped, and I can't get to him"

"Got it. Try to hold on."

"Yeah, sure." Loki glanced up as a white powder flew through the air. His eyes widened. Anneliese saw what was happening, and did her best to open the doors. They refused to budge. She tried again. And again. And again. She collapsed against the frame, ashamed at her own weakness. Loki shot her a venomous glare through the glass.

"_Don't wear yourself out. You're going to kill yourself if you keep that up."_

"_Oh, and doing nothing is so much better!"_

"_It's better than exhausting yourself through worthless effort"_

"_No kidding. You have a point though. I'll give you that, but what's the point of telekinetic abilities when they don't work?"_

"_None of my powers are working at the moment either, except for the telepathy."_

"_Well, obviously."_

"_Enough sarcasm from you! I have no patience for it"_

"_Fine. Now what?"_

"_We wait for the team to find us."_

"_Great. And all the while you're probably inhaling some deadly virus."_

The radio in her ear crackled to life.

"Anne? I'm just down the hall. Do you copy?" Tony's concern was obvious, even through the static.

"Yes, I copy. Make sure the others wear some kind of hazmat protection when they come in. Someone released a powder in there, and I'm not sure what it is, but it can't be healthy. Loki's trapped."

"Fury told me. Tell Loki to hang tight. I'm almost there." Tony flew past Anneliese, and into the door. The door flew across the lab, narrowly missing Loki. Anneliese ran in, with absolute disregard for her own advice of wearing hazmat protection.

"Thank God. Tony, what took so long?"

"Why? Didja miss me?" he asked playfully. She smacked the side of his helmet in response. Loki stood up, clearing his throat.

"I never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see you, Stark."

"Likewise, Rock of Ages. You inhale any of this crap?"

"I'm afraid I did." He glanced over at the body in the corner. Tony stepped over to it.

"Wow. Someone did a number on him." Tony commented, noting the bloodshot eyes, and the broken capillaries in his cheeks. Loki coughed. Anneliese's head whipped around. In all the months she'd known him, he'd never shown any sign of being subject to human sicknesses. Now having been exposed to what presumably was a superbug, he was falling ill.

"Are you all right?" Tony asked. Loki nodded, squatting down and resting his head on his knees. Anneliese stood next to him, letting him lean against her. He felt dizzy and wanted nothing more than to lie down.

"I'll be okay, I think. I…hope." Another fit of coughing wracked him, and he nearly tipped over. Anneliese didn't like how it was sounding. She touched his mind with hers.

"_You don't sound okay…" she said._

"_No, really? How brilliant your observations are this evening, Anne."_

"_Enough sarcasm from you."_

"_Touché, dear girl."_

"_Why not just heal yourself? You're supposed to be a god or something right?"_

"_The walls are somehow blocking my abilities…so I'm essentially mortal at the moment. So, if you could help me instead of standing there gawking, I would be most appreciative."_

"_Okay."_

Loki coughed again as Anneliese helped him up. He started to take a step forward, and then collapsed. She struggled to hold him up.

"Tony, help me get him out of here, will you? Get him to Bruce, ASAP." Tony picked Loki up and slung him over his shoulder. He turned back to Anneliese and saluted her.

"Yes ma'am. You got this under control?" he asked. Anneliese nodded.

"Yeah, I got this. Go." Tony fired up the suit, and took off with Loki on his back.

Natasha and Thor came through the door seconds later. Both of them wore a mask. Anne was pleased to note that it was one of the ones she had helped design. Too bad Tony hadn't had the time to make more of them.

"Lady Anne, are you all right?" Thor asked, concerned. Anneliese nodded.

"Yeah, for now. I have a feeling that that's not gonna last long."

"Where's Loki?" he asked.

"Tony just left with him. He's not doing too well." Thor's brows knit together in confusion.

"But Loki is immune to human illnesses." Anneliese shook her head.

"I don't know what to tell you, Thor. That powder, whatever it is, is hitting him hard. Hopefully Banner knows what to do." Thor swore and threw Mjolnir across the room, causing a shower of sparks as it passed through several computer monitors.

"Thor, cool it. We don't have time for this. We need to get back to Stark Tower and figure out what's going on." Natasha said in her no-nonsense tone. Thor nodded, biting his lower lip. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost his younger brother again. He stared at Anneliese for a moment. She still had no idea of who she really was, or her connection to Loki. He didn't want to be there if Loki's death brought back her memories. He followed the two women back down the hall.


	9. Find the Cure

Anneliese stared through the glass. She could see Loki, unconscious, lying on the bed. He shouldn't have to be there. Dr. Banner glanced up and saw her. He motioned for her to come in. She sat down next to the bed, and waited.

"It's bad. He was unconscious when Tony brought him in." Banner said quietly.

"I see. Can he hear us?"

"I'm not sure. But, I need a blood sample from you sometime soon, since you were in contact with him after he was infected."

"Would you like to do that right now?" Banner nodded.

"Since you're offering…" he said as he prepped the syringe. Anneliese flinched as the needle pricked her skin. Seconds later, he pulled it out, and gave her a bandage. She peeled it off the wrapper, and placed it over the prick site. "Thank you." Anneliese nodded.

"Yeah, the tests will probably come back positive for whatever he's got." She glanced over at Loki. "He went down so quickly. I thought that being semi-divine might help a guy out at a time like this."

"He's immune to most things, but this isn't like any disease I've ever seen. It's not of this planet."

"I think I know who's behind this. Shortly after I joined the team, Loki mentioned someone named Thanos. He's probably the one behind this, right?"

"Yeah, most likely." Anneliese gave him a grim smile.

"Well, now all I have to do is find him and get the cure." Bruce glanced at the pallid face on the pillow. Anneliese followed his gaze.

"I wouldn't be so quick to challenge Thanos. From what I've heard, he's not one to let someone go so easily."

"What do you mean?" Bruce shrugged.

"Thor's told me a lot about that guy, and I'd be careful about messing with him. He's obsessed with death, and he never forgets a grudge. He's not going to let you have the cure, unless he's sure of getting something in return. And I can assure you, whatever he wants will not be pleasant." Anneliese shook her head in disbelief.

"But I've gotta do something. I can't just sit back and watch him die!" Bruce nodded.

"I know. No one knows where he is though. I wouldn't even know where to start looking." Anneliese took a deep breath. She wouldn't waste any more time talking. Now was the time for action.

"Well, if that's the case, I'd better get started. Keep him alive until I get back. I don't care what you have to do, as long as he's still breathing."

"Yes ma'am. Good luck."

Anneliese walked out the door and into the elevator. She hit the buttons to get to her room. Suddenly, the elevator screeched to a halt, and the lights flickered out. The emergency lights came on, and she saw that she was not alone. A man stood in front of her, dressed like he'd just come from a renaissance fair.

"Who're you?" she asked. The man seemed hurt by the fact that she didn't know his name.

"How cruel of you, Sigyn." Before he could get any farther, Anneliese cut him off.

"Sigyn? Huh? My name's Anneliese. Now, I don't know who you are, or how you got here, but I'd prefer if you didn't talk to me." The man laughed lightly.

"How foolish of me. I failed to properly introduce myself. I'm Theoric. Don't you remember?" Anneliese shook her head, completely confused.

"Just what is it I should be remembering?" she asked. Theoric smiled. If she didn't remember, he would wait until such a time as she regained her memory.

"Never mind. I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll tell you some other time." Anneliese gritted her teeth in frustration.

"No, you'll tell me right now. Loki refused to, maybe I can get more out of you. Spill." She said. Theoric took a deep breath.

"You're not really a Midgardian. You're the Lady Sigyn, of Asgard. You were betrothed to me. Please tell me you remember." Anneliese stared at him silently. Why couldn't the guys who admired her ever be normal?

"Good story, but if you don't mind, I've got a friend to save. Buzz off." Theoric looked hurt, but he bowed to her.

"As you command, milady." With that, he disappeared. Anneliese was startled when the elevator began moving again.

Once she reached the floor she was looking for, she stepped out, nearly bumping into Tony. He seemed to sense what was wrong.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked. Anneliese glanced over her shoulder as she passed him.

"To try to find a cure for Loki."

"Not the best idea you've had, but all right. May I ask where you're thinking of starting?" Tony quipped as he fell into step alongside her.

"Why? You wanna tag along?" she replied

"Was that an invitation?" Anneliese shrugged.

"I don't know old man. Was it?" she shot back. Tony grinned.

"Let me give you a lift."

"Do you know something I don't?" Tony nodded.

"Yeah. I had Jarvis run the satellite imagery on that lab we were at earlier, and there's a whole underground level that apparently no one knew about. Huge heat signature, no reasonable explanation for it. Sounds kinda fishy to me." Anneliese took the information with surprising lack of emotion. She gave him a lifeless smile.

"Suit up, Stark."

"Sure thing, sweetheart." He pressed the buttons on his bracelets, and out of nowhere his armor appeared and began attaching itself to him. Within seconds, he was ready. He put an arm around Anneliese's waist, and they took off from the balcony.


	10. Memories

They landed near the lab. Anneliese's earpiece crackled to life.

"Anneliese? It's Bruce. Your blood tests came back positive but something in your blood seems to be fighting it off. I suspect that this was engineered to infect Loki only. Get the antidote and get out of there. Got it?" Anneliese was shocked.

"Copy that, Banner. Thanks for letting me know." Tony heard the exchange.

"So you're in the clear?" he asked.

"Yep. Now we've just got to save Loki."

"All right."

Since Tony knew the way down to the lower level, he led the way. Anneliese gasped in surprise when she saw the trapdoor. It was barely noticeable to even the most experienced eye. Tony lifted the hatch, and lowered himself down first. Anneliese leapt lightly down, and he caught her. The corridor was dimly lit, and the steam was making it almost unbearably hot. Tony glanced over to her.

"There are guards up ahead. I'm going to distract them, and you're going to go after the antidote, if there is one. I'll give you the time to search for it, okay?" Anneliese nodded.

"Thank you, Tony." They split up. While the guards were after Tony, Anneliese slipped through the glass doors, and went straight for the cooler where a bunch of important-looking bottles were stashed. She rummaged through them, finding one that looked unlike any of the others. She grabbed it, and read the label. At first she couldn't sort out what it said, but as she stared at it, the strange markings made sense. She had the right vial. Glancing around, she tucked it into her pocket. She turned to leave, and abruptly found herself faced with Thanos. He smiled, which was a creepy expression on his malformed face.

"I know you…" he said teasingly. Anneliese stepped back, not sure of what to do now.

"That's odd, since I have no recollection of you." she answered, trying to sound threatening. It's hard to be intimidating when you're a pretty blonde. Thanos smiled.

"Did you ever stop to think that there's a reason for that?"

"Yeah, I have thought about it a time or two. I never really came up with much. Now if you'll excuse me…" She tried to slip around him, but he stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. He pulled her back in front of him.

"I know why you're here."

"Oh, really?" She tried to look nonchalant, but the curiosity in her eyes was impossible to disguise. Thanos grinned wickedly.

"Anything you do will be too little to save him. You do know that, right?" he snarled. Anneliese stood still trying not to let it sink in.

"There's always a chance." She said, denying any doubt that may have settled in her mind. Thanos laughed again.

"Not with what I've infected him with. I told him he'd wish for pain. I will hold on to that promise." _So, he doesn't realize that I took the antidote…_ She managed to keep the tremble out of her voice.

"You struck down the son of Odin. You will pay for that someday."

"Asgard didn't know of the Chitauri or their planet until that miscreant prince fell into it. It's his own fault. Odin wouldn't dare strike back."

"You don't know your enemies very well, do you?" Thanos paused a moment.

"Oh, I think I could tell you a thing or two." He struck out with his dagger, nicking her arm. She hissed in pain. She ducked into a somersault, and jumped up about ten feet away from him.

"I think I'll skip that conversation." She grabbed a knife from her belt and flung it at the Titan. Using her telekinesis, she ensured that it would strike him in the chest. Sure enough, her aim was true. He roared in pain, but it didn't seem to do much more than make him mad. She ran down the hall. She couldn't win this on her own, and she didn't know where Tony was. Thanos' footsteps were audible close behind her, and she was quickly running out of options. She made herself invisible and pressed herself into the wall. Thanos thundered past. She breathed a sigh of relief, but the relief was short lived. Thons stopped, and turned. Anneliese's heart pounded frantically against her ribcage.

The Titan stopped right in front of her. He grinned again, and lunged for her. As soon as he made contact, she became visible again.

"Found you." he said, getting a better hold on her throat. Anneliese clawed at his hand in a meager effort to free herself. Thanos chuckled.

"Let's talk." He said as he carried her to one of the interrogation chambers.

After ensuring that she was securely restrained, Thanos sat down in front of her.

"I'm sure you've figured out by now that you're not really Anneliese Dunn." The girl in front of him made no response. He sat forward. "You're stronger than I remember. We have met before." Anneliese looked up at him, confused. Thanos clucked his tongue against his teeth. "You don't remember. Maybe I should…refresh…your memory." Anneliese struggled against the restraints on the chair. Thanos held out the Mind Gem. A glowing fog gathered around the faceted surface and wafted towards the victim. Anneliese tried not to breathe it in, but her lungs ached, and she was forced to inhale. The mist burned her lungs, and threatened to make her sick.

Images flashed through her mind. _Herself and Loki as children playing tag in Frigga's garden. Mock battles with Loki, Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. Loki teaching her how to use magic. Her grief upon learning of his fall from the Bifrost. Her vigil over him during his nightmares the day he returned home as a prisoner. _ She gasped first in pain, then from the memories.

She was Sigyn.

She almost couldn't believe it. Then the memories of her torture at Thanos' hands…She couldn't take it. The smell of the smoke from the fires, the sound of the whip whistling through the air, the pain, and the spectral image of Loki that Thanos had used to frighten her. It was all so real, she could almost smell the blood in the air.

She whimpered in fear, recognizing her captor for what he truly was. Thanos smiled, and snuffed out the mist rising from the gem. Anneliese slumped forward in her chair. If she hadn't been restrained, she would've fallen to the floor.

"My revenge is almost complete, Asgardian. The miscreant prince will die, and so will the traitor." He muttered, thinking of the effect that his virus would be having on Loki at this time. Anneliese shook her head in confusion. She couldn't think straight.

"Traitor? What traitor?" Thanos gave a hearty chuckle.

"Your lover Theoric. He betrayed you to me, without even knowing it. He will pay for his crimes, too. And I won't even have to lay a finger on him." He stood up and pocketed the gem.

_Theoric? The guy who I was talking to in the elevator…Theoric…He claimed he loved me…He—He allowed Thanos to take me. _

The door of the chamber flew open, revealing Iron Man and Hawkeye. Thanos pulled out a sword and took a swing at Tony. One blast from the hand repulsors threw him against the wall.

"Leave her alone, Freak Face." Tony jeered. The Titan jumped up and charged him head on. Tony fired the repulsors once more. The blast hit the Titan's leg, but it was enough to get his attention. He roared in pain, and vanished. Clint ran to Anneliese, and undid the restraints. With nothing holding her up, she fell forward. Tony caught her and eased her onto the floor.

"Come on, Anne. Stay with me." He said. Anneliese stared at him for a moment, trying to breathe deeply.

"Loki's antidote…my pocket…Take it and make sure he gets it. Please. Don't let him die."

"I'm a little more worried about you at the moment, sweetheart." He grabbed the vial anyway. Anneliese's eyes slid shut. Tony panicked. "No, no, no, no, no. Come on, stay with me, Anne." He lifted her and was just about to leave when he heard two more sets of footsteps coming towards him. He glanced up to see Natasha and Steve in the doorway.

"Oh God, what happened?" Natasha asked, holstering her gun. Tony shook his head.

"She took on Thanos alone. I was incapacitated at the time; otherwise I would've helped her."

"She was under some sort of mind control spell. Look at her eyes." Clint said. He carefully pulled her eyelid back revealing the icy blue that was the trademark sign. Anneliese moaned slightly, but made no move against any of them. "Get her to Bruce. Tasha, Cap, and I will clean this mess up." Tony nodded.

"Yep. Good luck." He repositioned her in his arms, and took off.


	11. Recovery

"Bruce, I'm bringing Anneliese back. She's not doing too well, and she'll need medical attention. I'm about two minutes out." Bruce hurried to prep another bed.

"Copy that. How bad is it?"

"No physical injury, but Clint thinks she might be under a mind control spell of some kind."

"All right. Did she find what she was looking for?"

"Yeah, she found the antidote, but I've no idea what Thanos did to her."

Tony strode into the infirmary, carrying Anneliese like a small child. With Bruce's help, he eased her onto one of the beds. Tony handed the vial off to Bruce and went to get the suit taken off. He came back with Thor in tow. Bruce had just filled a syringe. Tony gave the unconscious demigod a once-over.

"He looks horrible. Are you sure this is going to work?" Tony asked as the Bruce prepared the injection site.

"We can only hope for the best." The doctor replied. Loki made no reaction as the needle pierced the inside of his elbow. Bruce slowly pushed the plunger down. Thor watched anxiously for any sign of improvement. About ten minutes later, a flush crept back into his face, and his breathing evened out. There was no more coughing, and the fever broke. Tony and Bruce turned their attention to Anneliese, and left Loki to Thor's care. There wasn't much to do for her. She showed no outward signs of injury, but she slept restlessly. No matter what they did, she didn't wake up, or respond in any way. They took turns watching over her throughout the night.

Loki woke up to see Thor sitting next to him, his head bowed. For some odd reason, his elbow hurt, but other than that, he felt pretty good. A little tired, maybe, but that was nothing. He took in the monitors around him.

"Where are we?" he asked, his voice hoarse from disuse. Thor's head shot up.

"Brother, you're awake! Oh, this is good news indeed. We were all so worried…" Loki struggled to sit up. Thor placed a couple pillows behind him. Shifting to a more comfortable position, he leaned back.

"What happened? I remember part of the flight back here, but after that it's all black. Black and pain." Thor shook his head.

"Thanos infected you to some kind of illness, engineered specifically for you. Anneliese found the cure for you." Loki sat up again, worried.

"Where is she? Is she all right? Did Thanos…"

"She's here in the infirmary. She still lives, but they don't know what Thanos did to her. She sleeps fitfully, and refuses to wake. He forced her to regain her memory." Loki closed his eyes, muttering several colorful oaths under his breath. "Like I said, she's still alive. They believe that she's under some kind of mind control spell." Loki tried to get up. Thor forced him to sit back down on the bed.

"Let me go to her!" Loki hissed. Thor didn't let go of his brother's arm.

"You don't want to see her like this…" Loki cut him off mid-sentence.

"She sat with me through the nightmares that night you brought me back to Asgard. The least I can do is to return the favor." Thor considered the argument for a moment.

"All right. I'll take you to her."

They entered the room where Anneliese lay. Her face was pale, and her eyes were closed. She was curled up on the bed, as though she were still in pain. Loki knew exactly what she was going through. He remembered the phantom pain flaring up where the scars used to be. He laid a hand on her forehead, and muttered a short phrase under his breath. She relaxed somewhat, and he sat down next to her. Tony and Bruce left to get some coffee. They had been up for three days straight. Loki was willing to watch over her, so they let him. There was little change. Bruce came back to find that Loki hadn't moved.

"Why don't you go get some rest, Loki? You can sit with her again tomorrow." Loki glanced up.

"Can I have my bed moved in here? I don't want to leave her." Bruce nodded.

"Yeah. I'll bring it in here for you. Be right back." Loki went back to waiting for a sign of change, for good or bad. Inwardly, he was beating himself up.

He had known the entire time what she was. It had nearly killed him to be so close to her, yet not have her recognize him. What Thanos had done to Anneliese was unforgiveable. He swore to himself that he would hunt Thanos down and make him pay for the pain he'd caused them both. Loki stopped short in his thoughts. He could've told her from the start who she was.

Now that he thought about it, wasn't that almost exactly what the All-father had done to him, hiding his true heritage from everyone? Would she hate him for not telling her? Or would she be grateful?

A quiet sigh tore him out of his thoughts. Anneliese's eyes were opened slightly. Loki smiled.

"Can you hear me?" he asked. She closed her eyes again. The lights hurt her eyes. Loki placed a cool hand on her cheek. "If you can, please answer me."

"I remember everything, Loki." She mumbled.

"I know. It's going to be all right. Take it easy."

"The antidote worked?" she asked. Loki nodded.

"Yes, I've been up for a whole day now, thanks to you."

"I'm glad. I'm sorry I didn't see it before; I should've known who you were the moment I saw you. I should have…" she said, tears pooling in her eyes. Loki kissed her hand.

"It's all right. He took your memories. There's no way you would've known." He said. His voice had a calming effect on her, and it chased some of the fear away.

"I remember what he did…" Loki's lips tightened into a thin line.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." He said. Sigyn shook her head.

"He couldn't have taken me without inside help. Someone in Asgard, I think." she said, the words barely audible. Loki's hand tightened around hers.

"We'll figure it out. Thanos is gone. He won't bother you again. I'll make sure of it."

"Thanos would never let anyone get off so easily…Someone in Asgard…Theoric, I think…It was Theoric." Loki nodded.

"Don't worry. It will be taken care of." Sigyn's eyes drifted shut again, and she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Bruce wheeled Loki's bed into the room.

"Here you go. How is everything?" he asked.

"She woke up briefly, and I think she'll be fine by tomorrow. She was quite herself. Now, I need to talk to the rest of the Avengers. There's something you should know about her."


	12. Loyalty

Loki watched everyone react. He had just told them that Anneliese was actually from Asgard. Stunned silence was the only response. Finally someone spoke.

"So, Anneliese isn't really Anneliese?" Tony asked, still trying to wrap his mind around it. Loki nodded.

"Her name is Sigyn. She's a childhood friend of mine and Thor's." Everyone seemed to understand that much. Natasha spoke up.

"Why didn't you tell us about this when she first joined?" Loki had no good answer.

"We didn't want anyone to tell her about her true identity before she remembered on her own. Knowing everyone's tendencies to talk, we kept silent."

"Okay, so what should we call her? Anneliese or Sigyn?" Loki rolled his eyes at Tony's persistence.

"Ask her once she's up."

"Call me whatever you feel comfortable with." A soft voice rippled across the room. Everyone glanced to the door. Anneliese was standing there, watching them all with amused eyes. Tony stood up and gave her a friendly hug.

"It's good to see you up and at it again." He said, grinning. Sigyn smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"It's good to be up." She answered, laughing.

"Sigyn! You should be resting." Loki said, walking up to her. She let go of Tony and drifted over to Loki.

"I'm better now than I was last night. Believe me, I wouldn't be up if I didn't feel like it." Loki escorted her to a seat.

"Whatever you say." Sigyn turned to the rest of the team.

"So, now what do we do?" she asked. Thor raised his hand. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Really, raising your hand? Are you in school or something?" Thor grinned.

"No, Lady Sigyn. Tomorrow is the last day of Loki's sentence here on Midgard, and after sunset tomorrow, he will be allowed back into Asgard. You and I will accompany him."

"All right, what are we going to do about Thanos?"

"When he hears about me returning to Asgard, he won't be able to resist an attempt to get me back." Loki said, his voice quiet. As much as he hated the idea of being anywhere near Thanos again, he had to protect Sigyn.

"And what of Theoric?" Sigyn asked. Loki gave her a confused look. "Theoric. He's here on Midgard. He spoke to me once, but I didn't recognize him then." Loki clenched his jaw.

"I swear, if I weren't about to be sent home, I'd hunt him down and kill him myself." Sigyn shook her head, exasperated.

"Loki, don't do this. He will get what's coming to him, but it will be at your father's hand." Loki stared at her in shock. Why did she not want the justice she deserved? Theoric deserved tenfold of her suffering, no, make that a thousand-fold.

"He put you in danger, and led Thanos to you, myself, and Thor …I think I would be justified in my actions if he were not to make it back to Asgard in our company."

"Think before acting, my lord. If there's one thing I've learned from you, it's to make sure you have all the information before you do something regrettable." Sigyn responded. The softness of her voice was betrayed by the steely glint in her dark blue eyes.

"Yes, of course, Lady Sigyn."

At that moment, the doors slid open revealing Fury and Theoric.

"Is this the man you're talking about?" Sigyn paled slightly, and nodded. Fury dragged him into the room and threw him down before Thor.

"Mercy, Prince Thor! I beg you! Please!" Thor glared at the wretch groveling at his feet.

"Why should I?"

"I have not been convicted of any crime, my lord, and it would break the laws of the All-father if I were not brought to justice in accordance with the customs therein." Thor gritted his teeth.

"You dare invoke my fathers name after all you've done? You will get your justice, and we shall see how you like it then. Friend Stark, lend me something to bind this traitor." Tony ran to the holding cell and came back with the shackles that Loki had worn a year ago.

"Will this work?" he asked. Thor took them and locked them in place.

"It will suffice. Thank you." Tony backed away, grinning.

"Don't mention it." he said mischievously. Theoric looked horrified at this turn of events.

"Sigyn, don't let them do this. Please do me this one favor, my love." Sigyn glared at him.

"You are not going to call me that ever again. Not after what you've done to me. You handed me over to Thanos, and left me to rot. You condemned me to tortures that you yourself couldn't have withstood!" Theoric shook his head violently.

"No, I would never have handed you over to that monster! You must be mistaken! I had you kidnapped so as to keep you out of the way so I could get rid of Lo…" he shut his mouth before he incriminated himself even further. Sigyn sat down in shock.

"So you could have Loki killed." She finished for him. After taking a deep breath, she stood up again and stepped over to the chained man. "You would attempt to harm a prince of your realm so that I would love you instead?" Theoric bowed his head. It was over now. "Do you have any idea what you have done to me?" She slapped him. He made no response. "When you allowed me to be kidnapped, I was taken to a cell and drugged. Beaten, burned with the iron rod, flogged, and that may not even be all. There was much that I was not awake for." As she listed the tortures, she never faltered once. Everyone wondered how she could be so matter-of-fact about it all. Loki was absolutely livid. Thor's eyes were downcast.

"We will take him with us tomorrow evening when Heimdall calls us back." He said, shooting the chained man a venomous glare. Theoric was shaking.

"Please, my lord, if I had known…"

"But you didn't know! And there lies your mistake." Loki snarled. Theoric shrank back, the chain links clinking together from the force of his trembling. "You may have thought that getting rid of me would make her love you, but you forget what she is renowned for. Her loyalty." Loki pulled out a chair for Sigyn and she sat down. "She is loyal to whomever she chooses. It is an honor to be the object of her affections. You were a fool to think that such an honor could be so cheaply bought." Theoric didn't answer. There was nothing to say. Loki glanced over at his brother. "Thor, shall we take him to the cell?" Thor nodded his agreement, and pulled the prisoner along. Loki followed, leaving the rest of the Avengers gaping.

They had never seen Loki get so worked up over anything before. Neither had they seen the effects his words could have upon the intended victim. Sigyn watched them all with a slightly amused expression.

"So, what do we do now?" Tony asked, a little afraid of the woman before him. Sigyn shrugged.

"What do you always do when there's something to celebrate?" she replied, straight-faced. Tony grinned.

"Drinks all around." He declared. Everyone agreed.

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers. Your opinions mean a lot to me, and I want this story to meet your expectations. **

**I've got several ideas of what should happen to Theoric, but I'm having a hard time deciding. So, as of now, I am asking for your opinion. What should Theoric's punishment be? Pick a letter, and include it in your review.**

**A: Death by beheading**

**B: Banishment to the Chitauri's planet**

**C: Loki takes actions into his own hands **

**D: Theoric runs away before he can be punished.**


	13. Discussing Punishments

**A/N: Okay, I've already gotten three votes. While I wait for more reaction, I'm going to post a fluff chapter. You have been warned. **

The celebration lasted well into the night. Loki watched Sigyn interact with the rest of the team. Since she had told them to call her whatever they felt comfortable with, the tensions had eased somewhat, and things were as close to normal as they would ever be. She made eye contact with him and smiled slightly. He felt her mind reach out to his.

_ "Do you want to talk privately?" she asked. _

_ "If it's not too much of an inconvenience. I would very much like to."_

_ "Go ahead and go up to my room. I'll meet you there as soon as I can."_

_ "That's quite…daring of you. How do you think the others would react if they could hear us?" He sensed her amusement._

_ "Tony would immediately take credit, though I have no idea why. Thor would be hopelessly confused, and everyone else would say that it's about time we got together. But I trust you to not take liberties." She replied._

_ "Very well."_

Loki didn't have to wait very long. He had only been sitting there for about five minutes when she entered the apartment. They sat in front of the fireplace, not speaking for a moment.

"I wanted to thank you for finding the cure." he said finally. Sigyn shrugged.

"I would hope someone would do the same for me. I think Anneliese had started to love you before she remembered that she was me." They both stared at the fire for a moment. Sigyn turned away from it. She shivered, and Loki pulled her closer. She laid her head on his shoulder, glad that they were both safe for now. Her thoughts turned to Theoric, and her defense of him earlier. She sighed.

"What is it?" Loki asked. Sigyn

"It's Theoric. What I said about you not taking matters into your own hands, I take it back. Any of your actions would be justified." Loki's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, they would. I glad you see the sense of it now. I knew you would. What baffles me is the fact that you were engaged to that beast."

"Not by choice, that much is certain. I'd rather stay single for the rest of my days." Loki seemed hurt.

"What of me?" Sigyn laughed at his pitiful expression.

"If you were to ask me properly, I'd accept. It will already be awkward enough, what with me being engaged and all, but you've never been one for normalcy, have you?" Loki grinned in response, holding still as Sigyn shifted. She laid her head on his lap, enjoying the closeness. His arm rested on her shoulder, and everything was as is should be. As it should have always been. They had never been allowed this back on Asgard.

"You know, it's probably not the best thing for your reputation, marrying a criminal, and standing idly by as he murdered your fiancée, but I think I could live with it." Sigyn smiled.

"Reputations be damned, I don't love Theoric. I never have. You're the only one who ever saw me as more than a mere woman. You taught me how to fight, you taught me how to use magic, and you've only ever respected me." Loki smirked.

"I seem to recall one evening a year ago, where I was less than respectful. Positively murderous, if memory serves…" Sigyn turned over so she could look up at him.

"You weren't yourself that time. I don't count it."

"That's good to know. So what do we tell Thor? He…"

"You don't have to tell Thor anything." The moment was interrupted as Thor himself stepped out of the shadows. Sigyn pulled herself away from Loki and they both sat up straight. Thor shook his head in mock disapproval. "Just listen to the two of you, plotting and who knows what else." Loki leaned forward.

"Brother, I can explain…"

"No need to explain. I heard everything." He paused for dramatic effect. "And you're right." Sigyn slumped back in relief. Some of the tension in the room disappeared. Loki nodded, working everything out in his head.

"Is the world ending? The mighty Thor develops a sense of sarcasm. Absolutely astounding." Thor smiled broadly, chuckling.

"It is as you say." Loki grinned.

"So, you agree?" Thor nodded emphatically.

"That traitor has no rights left. He voided them all when he first struck his deal with Thanos." Sigyn smiled at the blond man. He could be quite stubborn sometimes, but when he got right down to it, he was quite brilliant.

"Do you think the All-father would agree to this?" Sigyn asked.

"Not at first, but let me present the case before him. Theoric threatened Loki's life by handing you over, not to mention the tortures you were subject to. In my mind, he has invoked a blood debt, and the only way to pay it back is with his own blood. The All-father will see that I'm right, and you will have free reign to take your wergild when it pleases you." Loki stood up and gave his brother a firm handshake.

"Thank you, brother. Do you think Father could revoke Sigyn's engagement?" Thor looked grave.

"Possibly, but I can't make any promises."

"That's good enough for me." Sigyn said. She laid back on Loki's arm.

"I shall leave now, but I trust you will not do anything irresponsible?" Loki shook his head.

"No, of course not." Thor nodded, smiling. He walked out the door, and left the two alone. Sigyn turned to face Loki.

"Even if the All-father doesn't approve…" she started to say. Loki shook his head.

"I don't think you really want to know what I have in mind. Just know it will be thoroughly unpleasant for Theoric."

**A/N: I put up a poll on my profile page, and it may take some time to show up, but bear with me, and we shall see how it turns out. There's one more chapter before the punishment will take place, so you've got a few days. If the poll's not quick enough, give me your vote (A, B, C, or D) in a review. Thanks for reading! **

**Remember, your choices are:**

**A) Death by beheading**

**B) Banishment to the Chitauri's planet**

**C) Loki takes actions into his own hands **

**D) Theoric runs away before he can be punished.**


	14. The Prodigal Son Returns

**A/N: Yay! Another fluff chapter! I haven't gotten any more poll results, and I put up a new option. Please, even if you don't review, vote on my poll. The next chapter will be the punishment. If **

"We're home." Thor said. He glanced at his three companions. Loki and Sigyn stood hand in hand, gazing at the landscape before them.

"Are you all right, Loki?" Sigyn asked softly. Loki nodded, swallowing a couple times before he answered.

"I'm fine. I just haven't been home in so long…" He took a step forward. Sigyn walked beside him.

"Hopefully this time is more long term." She whispered. Thor watched the two walk away. He glanced back at Theoric who looked positively terrified. He gave the chain a firm tug, and pulled him forward.

"Come on. We don't have all day."

The two that had gone on ahead paused. Loki seemed to be somewhat reluctant to return to the palace.

"What's wrong?" Sigyn asked. Loki didn't look up. She placed a finger under his chin and tilted his face up so he would look her in the eye.

"Do I really deserve this?" he asked simply. Sigyn could see the doubt and pain in his expression. The fact that he should ever have felt this way was sad, to say the least.

"Yes. What did I tell you about trust?" Loki recalled that cold night in the cell.

"It's strength. Why do I feel so weak, then? Sigyn, I can't just begin trusting people. There are too many that would use it against me."

"I didn't say you had to trust everyone at first. But your mother and father love you. Is that not reason enough to trust them? At the very least, trust me." Loki smiled.

"I trust you. I trust them. But I don't know if I can trust myself."

"Wait, didn't you tell a certain girl that if you didn't know your own mind, you wouldn't trust yourself? Where is the man who told me that?" Loki rolled his eyes back in his head.

"You always did have a good memory, didn't you?" he sighed. "Well, I suppose we should let Thor catch up to us, and then we can be on our merry way." They sat down and waited.

They finally made it to the palace, and were slowly making their way to the throne room. They all knelt before the All-father, with the exception of Theoric, who stood to the side, muzzled and chained much the way Loki had been a year before.

"Welcome home, all three of you." Odin stood, and embraced his sons. Loki paused a moment before allowing himself to return the gesture.

"I should never have kept your heritage a secret. I'm so, so sorry, my boy. It was foolish of me to think otherwise." He released Loki, and held him at arm's length to look him in the eye. Loki nodded mutely. He finally worked up the strength to speak.

"It was indeed foolish, Father. But I forgive you." Odin smiled, unable to speak. If he did, he was sure he'd break down crying. He moved on to Sigyn. He took her smooth hands in his own rough, old ones.

"You have suffered much and come forth victorious. You have helped my son learn about the second chances offered to him. If there is one boon I might grant you, you have but to name it. I will see it done." Sigyn bit her lip. Loki stared at her, hoping she would use this chance wisely. Sigyn glanced up at the old king before her.

"I would that you might break the vows of troth binding me to Theoric." Odin's eyes softened.

"Yes, this I will do, and whatever else you may ask. You shall be the most honored among women, save for Queen Frigga" Sigyn gave him a deep curtsy.

"You honor me beyond words, All-father, but I have not done anything to deserve such a reward. I have only done what I could for a friend."

"And what you've done is more than I could ever ask. Don't think that because I'm old, I'm blind as well. I've seen how much Loki cares for you; and you for him." Sigyn blushed. Odin smiled. "Ah, to be young! I wish both of you the best of luck. There will be many who frown upon this union, but who am I to stop you?" Loki stepped forward and took Sigyn's arm.

"Thank you for all you've done for her, Father."

"You're welcome, my son. Now go, refresh yourselves. You must be weary from your travels." Thor handed Theoric's chains over to one of the guards, and the threesome left the throne room.

Loki stopped outside his chamber door. He was home. He ignored the feeling that he was trespassing, and stepped into the long-abandoned room. He found that the bed had been freshly made, and even some fresh flowers were in a vase by the window, lending a fresh air to the room. It was almost as he remembered. He found a new set of clothes laid out for him, and he quickly changed into them. After a year in Midgardian clothes, even the roughest of the fabrics felt like silk.

A servant knocked on the door.

"Yes?" he answered, somewhat irritated. The servant was apologetic.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but your mother requests your presence."

"Oh. Tell her I will be along shortly."

"Yes, my lord." Loki closed the door.

When he turned around, Sigyn was sitting on the edge of his favorite chair.

"How did you…" he trailed off. Sigyn smiled mischievously.

"I learned from the best." She said. Loki shook his head.

"Not the best. But I thank you for the compliment. So, to what do I owe this honor?" Sigyn stared at him for a moment.

"It's Theoric. If he does not get the death penalty, promise me you will do something about it." Loki frowned.

"As much as I love you, and as much as I'd like to, I need to lay low for a while, until I'm no longer seen as a criminal by the people." Sigyn stared at the floor.

"I understand. Not right away, but if the occasion arises, you will do something about it? I fear for my life as long as Theoric still draws breath." Loki tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He kissed her forehead.

"I will do what I have to, but trust me. He will get what he deserves."

"I will see you at the feast tonight, Loki." She stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then, she vanished.

Loki shook his head fondly, and went to find Frigga.


	15. A Fugitive

**A/N: Since I didn't receive much reaction with the poll, I'm going to go with a combination of Escape, Loki takes action, and Something Else. Oh well. It's probably better this way. It strikes me, upon re-reading, that this is extraordinarily fluffy, despite my best efforts. *facepalm***

**There's only two chapters after this, and then I'll focus more on Parole on Midgard. Maybe even start a new story. I dunno.**

**Thank you for reading! **

Loki and Sigyn entered the throne room.

"You summoned us, Father?" Loki asked, a little perturbed. Odin looked up to see them stop in front of the high seat.

"Yes. I have grave news. Theoric's escaped, and neither Heimdall nor I know where he's got to." Sigyn's eyes widened.

"Grave news indeed, my king. How did this happen?"

"We fear that he has friends among the guard, and they released him. No magic can break the locks, save for the key that a guard carries." Loki glanced over at Thor.

"Excuse me for a moment, I need to speak with my brother." He said to Sigyn. She nodded. Loki walked over to where Thor stood.

"So, brother, what say you to a hunt?" he asked. Thor seemed confused.

"Two days before your wedding?" he said incredulously. Loki smiled.

"It shouldn't take more than one day." He said.

"And if we find our prey?" Loki shrugged.

"It depends upon how he reacts to our presence." Thor glanced over at Odin.

"Sigyn knows what you're planning?" Loki considered it a moment.

"Yes, she does."

"And if something happens to you, what happens to her?"

"I have my brother as a backup, if anything should go wrong."

"I fear for your acceptance among the people if you do this deed."

"I'm going after someone who betrayed Asgard to an evil that is beyond even the All-father's power. I don't see how it's a crime if I was defending my country. I need a witness, someone the people trust. That's why you're coming with me." Thor nodded, still uncertain.

"All right brother, I will come with you." He turned to Odin. "Father, I wish to go after Theoric, with the assistance of Loki. We shall bring him back whole if it be your wish. But if he tries to harm us, we will take necessary action." Odin nodded.

"Do what you must in order to bring him to justice."

"We thank you Father, for your trust in us." Thor answered. Sigyn came forward and kissed Loki on the cheek.

"Stay safe. I love you." she said quietly. Loki lifted her hand and slipped his ring onto the third finger. Sigyn stared at him, completely stunned. He was practically handing everything over to her, his belongings, and everything that went with his title as prince.

"Just in case." He said lightly. Sigyn was speechless. Loki turned and left, following Thor out to where the guards held their horses ready. Sigyn watched them ride away.

They rode out, just the two of them. Thor looked like he wanted to say something. Loki was willing to let him stew on it for a while. He debated back and forth whether or not he was doing the right thing by going after Theoric. If he went too far, he might be banished again, this time forever.

"Brother?" Thor said, interrupting any further thought. Loki glanced up from the roadside.

"What?" he asked. As the word left his mouth, he immediately wanted to take back the biting tone. Thor seemed nonplussed by it, and went on without a pause.

"I never thought to ask what Thanos did to you. How did you fall to him, of all the places you could've fallen?" Loki swallowed both visibly and audibly. Of all the conversations he'd had with his brother on Midgard, this was one subject they'd avoided.

"I don't know how. I don't remember the landing. I remember waking up in chains, cold, hungry, and stripped of my armor." He watched Thor take it in. He seemed to be all right, so he continued. "I was brought before Thanos and his Chitauri consort. They put me through what they called 'The Trials'. The Trials are a series of tortures designed to target what the victim fears the most."

"And they found out what you feared most…" Thor intoned. Loki nodded.

"I was never meant to rule, whatever Father may have told us as children. My fear however childish, was that I'd never be admired for anything. Never loved. And the events just before my fall had only made that fear worse." Thor reined his horse in.

"Loki, I have never seen you as anything other than my brother. Nothing less than my equal." Loki smirked.

"I know that now. I just forgot it for a while. After deducing the cause of my fear, he gave me what I thought I'd been looking for. However flawed it was, I accepted it as real. He would torture me if I displeased him, and I'd do whatever was necessary to get back on his good side, and he'd take the fear away again. That's all I lived for. I can't even begin to tell you what he did to me." Thor was looking more and more grim.

"Brother, I see him." Loki pulled his horse up short. There was Theoric, running steadily on. They both urged their mounts forward, catching up with the escaped man easily. Theoric recognized them and stopped.

"Theoric, turn around." Thor ordered. The man did as he was told. Loki leapt lightly from the saddle, followed closely by Thor.

"Ah, Loki. We meet again. I expected the virus to do more. I'll have to try harder next time." the man said, but it was not his voice. It was Thanos speaking through him. Loki felt a chill run down his spine.

"Thanos, let him go." He ordered. Thanos laughed.

"Oooh, you threaten me? I quiver with fear."

"No, I command. Let him go, or I will destroy…"

"Who? Him? Because you certainly won't destroy me. But I will find you and that woman again, and this time, _this time_, see if you get away so easily."

"You will touch neither of us again. And you will leave this realm. By the power of the All-father, I cast you out!" He held up his hand and a green blast of energy surrounded Theoric. A loud scream filled their ears. With a roar, Thanos' influence left him.

Loki cut off the flow of magic. He watched with mild satisfaction as Theoric fell to his knees. Thor stepped forward and pulled him up, putting the shackles on his wrists. Theoric was having none of that. He struck out with his fists. To Thor, it was nothing. Loki, however, was feeling a little less merciful. He gave Theoric a stunning blow to the side of the head. The man fell to his knees, still fully aware.

"Mercy, my prince, I beg of you."

"Why should I listen? You betrayed Sigyn." He hit him across the face. "You betrayed the All-father's trust." He struck him again. "You betrayed the Realm, and I don't see why you begging for mercy should make me give it to you, you scum!" He would've hit him again, had Thor not grabbed his arm and stopped him. Theoric sagged to the ground.

"Brother? Why did you do that? He'd be easier to transport if he was actually awake and able to stay upright in the saddle." Loki scowled at the unconscious man on the ground.

"This is my brand of mercy. He doesn't deserve to live…"

"That is not for you to decide." Loki seemed unmoved.

"Why not?" he asked. This time, there was no smile to follow

"Let the All-father be the judge."

"Yes, Thor. But if he so much as makes one move against you again, I shall put a dagger in his heart." Thor shook his head.

"Theoric must apologize for his wrongs."

"I doubt he will. If I don't kill him, someone else will." Loki said, his eyes relinquishing some of their fire. He called on his magic and laid the criminal across the saddle. They turned back towards the city.


	16. Revenge

**A/N: I'm sorry that it's taken me this long, but there's so much more of this story to tell, what with Thanos still being out there.**

**Without further ado…**

Loki sat up, not sure what had disturbed his sleep. He glanced down and watched Sigyn sleep for a moment, her steady breathing ensuring him that she hadn't been the one to wake him. He got up carefully, and walked over to the window. A shadow was moving across the courtyard below. Loki watched it for a good long while, before deciding to act. He pulled himself up onto the window sill, and lightly leapt down. Noiselessly, he hit the ground six feet below, and he drifted from shadow to shadow, his daggers held ready in case of attack. The shadow seemed to sense it was being followed, and it whirled around. Loki didn't even take time to discover whether it was friend or foe. He flicked one of the daggers at it, and it fell with a strangled cry. Loki walked up to it and rolled the corpse over with his foot. He removed the dagger from its throat, and pulled the cowl of the cloak back to reveal the face. He backed away instinctively. Theoric. He'd escaped, and Loki had caught him. He felt a minor jab of guilt, but then, thinking of all that this man had done to Sigyn…he deserved what he'd gotten. But now, there were more important matters to be considered. He took a deep breath. One of the guards saw him standing over the body, and came over to investigate.

"What happened?" the soldier asked. Loki glanced up.

"He was spying outside my and Lady Sigyn's chambers. I caught him as he ran. I had no choice." The guard bowed.

"Yes, my lord. I will get someone to clean this up, but you might want to go speak to the All-father about this." Loki nodded.

"Of course. Thank you for your help." Loki turned an walked towards the great hall.

He had a lot of explaining to do.


End file.
